The Sari Diaries- 2018 Finale

Dear #TheRanch2018 Campers and Staff,

I throw this keylog in for all of you and for this extraordinary summer that we shared at 8258 County O. I apologize for not throwing in a keylog at the final campfire or even for writing this after you left yesterday but I felt a need to fully compose my thoughts in order to articulate just what I wanted to say. So here it is…

I want to start by thanking each and every one of you for being truly kind individuals- people with good hearts and a passion for being good to others. It is often said that at camp, we are the best versions of ourselves. While I find this to be true, I am confident that all of us have the capacity to be that same version of ourselves at home and in other contexts. As the year goes on, and we find ourselves further and further away from our summer selves, it is always easy to remember the stuff- we remember those late nights in our cabins bonding, and we remember that time we finally got a gold in archery, and we remember our cabin lip syncs. All of that is important to remember- you will remember those moments forever and they will be a part of the foundation of your forever friendships. What takes a little more effort though is to remember who you are at Chippewa and how good that feels. So every so often, I suggest that we remind ourselves of the Chippewa Compass, and of who we are as a community- a community full of people who demonstrate that it is cool to be kind, that you should stand up for what you believe in, that you should dance how you feel and that you should look out for others.

This all leads me to the second part of my thank you. This part goes to the staff, but campers, please read on because I want you to fully understand what the staff taught all of us this summer. This staff may have been the best ever- throughout the summer, I found myself wondering if it was possible that so much good was happening so constantly. Sure, each summer is incredible, but this one just felt different. I know that I can’t do it justice through my writing but I mean it when I say that it just doesn’t get any better than this (or at least it hasn’t in the past 26 summers). And so much of that goodness is attributed to this dedicated, fun and motivated group of staff. They were great cabin counselors who consistently proved that they were committed to their campers’ safety and happiness. They were also activity instructors who were willing to give extra time to helping campers achieve their goals. And they were support staff, who often behind the scenes, were working relentlessly to provide this camp with amazing food, working equipment and a clean place to live. And more important than any of those things that fit in their job description, every individual staff member was a person, who from different angles, provided our campers with an increased sense of resilience and confidence. They fostered an environment in which we felt confident to reach out to a new friend, learn from our mistakes and try a new activity that we might have been fearful of. In the moment, and on these grounds, and surrounded by these people, all of these things came naturally to us…this safe zone that was created by #TheRanchStaff2018 gave us the courage to be our own awesomely unique person. It is now our responsibility to remember just how strong we are and how what we can accomplish is limitless. So be it in school, on a sports team, in a dance performance, at home with our siblings or hanging out with friends, remember that we are good people who can do amazing things.

And now we take our confidence and mix it with our kindness to get to thank-you number three. Lakeivew 2018, you were fabulous. Thank you for leading the way for our campers all summer long. Most recently, the Lakeview campers impressed me as I looked over to them when Nicole L was announced as Honor Camper. While Nicole was excited, the others were elated- they were proud that their friend had been given, and so deserved, this huge honor…it was pretty cool to see. And all summer long, this group demonstrated that it is possible to work unbelievably hard on programs like 4th of July and Chippy Awards while still enjoying every element of camp. They showed our campers what it means to live each day to the fullest at CRC- be it dance parties, cheering in the messhall, or participating at activities- this group consistently proved that the fun that can be had at Chippewa has no boundaries. They were amazing big sisters, instructor’s aides and leaders on Kahuna & UN Days. And without even trying, they showed us all that throughout a camper career at Chippewa, the bonds that are formed here are some of the strongest in the world. On Wednesday night, at our final campfire, Sarah N said, “I encourage everyone to reach out to new people, stay in touch with the ones you do meet, and have their backs no matter what. Because that’s the kind of thing people do at Chippewa.” This line in a campfire full of heartfelt, emotional and amazing speeches from our Lakeview campers, really struck a chord with me. I feel so incredibly lucky to be a member of the Chippewa family. This place and the people who have called it home for generations are some of my very best friends. Some of them are older than me, some are my age and some are much younger than me. Regardless, there is a certain inexplicable bond that we share that translates into the best kind of friendship. It is a friendship that is full of incredible memories, and it is a friendship that elicits uncontrollable rages of laughter, and it is a friendship that crosses states and oceans, and it is a friendship that is unconditional. Some of us are at a point in life in which we recognize the value and the rarity of this kind of friendship. Some of us are not there yet- and that is okay- soon you will realize. Regardless of the stage of understanding of how truly special these friendships are, I have one strong request for all of you: I ask that you take Sarah’s advice. I ask that you look out for one another, and that you remember the sisterhood and the bond that you have with one another. No matter if you are in the same cabin or even the same age group, you are all members of an incredibly unique club of Chippies. Each of you are connected to one another through the place that we all love. And so, if you are in the hallways at school, or out in town, or at a birthday party, or really anywhere in the world, and you see a member of #TheRanch2018 community, go out of your way to say hi…give each other a hug…and let others around you know that you are friends…“And have their backs. Because that’s the kind of thing we do at Chippewa.”

Okay- this keylog is getting a bit long so I will wrap it up. Thank you all for a summer that will truly go down in the history books. To Cliff, Lisa, Sophie, James, Ruth, Kato, Rahul, The Admin Team, The Regulars, The Staff, Lakeview and The Campers, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for allowing me to be living my dream, thank you for allowing me to work alongside you, thank you for the hard work you put in, thank you for loving this place as much as I do, and thank you for being you. I hope each and every one of you fully comprehend what you mean to this community- you are loved and we are proud of the people that you are. You have each grown in unique ways throughout this summer, and you have made Chippewa a better place. Thank you for sharing this summer with me…I can’t wait to see you back here at #TheRanch2019!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari